Sufficient Evaluation Could Save You Thousands on a Sewing Machine

In the last post, I shared how an affinity for my mom’s Janome sewing machine confounded me into an overwhelming investment. Had I been aware of the following information. Had I been as aware of my need originally, I could have saved myself thousands of dollars! Hindsight is, indeed, 20/20.

The Unbearable Task of Hemming

To sum up my erroneous approach: I loved my mom’s Janome. It was expensive. I assumed a more expensive Pfaff would be even more lovable. I was mistaken.

Had I taken the time to clarify what I needed and wanted in a machine, and thought about what the Janome had delivered, I would have seen that there was one specific feature I coveted. It was the ability to create nearly invisible stitches with the blind hem foot. The Pfaff can do awesome embroidery, and it has all kinds special capabilities (thus the nickname “Rocket Launcher”). Nevertheless, I continued to find myself unsatisfied with the Pfaff blind hem foot, so much so that I was up for investing even more in this machine. I was compelled to switch out the foot for a something similar to that of the Janome.

Several years in struggling with that hem foot, and I just couldn’t take it anymore. I adore beautifully made clothing, always check detailing when I am shopping, and I just wanted to have my finished hems look great, like that in good ready-to-wear. Invisibility is what I was after.

It was when I was taking the Pfaff in to the local sewing machine dealer for maintenance that I decided to find a solution. This sewing machine dealer was experienced in both the Pfaff and Janome sewing machines. I asked if Pfaff had a blind hem foot like that on my mom’s Janome. The salesperson initially said no, but after some careful consideration she worked with me to rig (without harm) the Janome foot and Janome connector piece that fit my Pfaff. All it took was the turn of a screw!

Evidently, my problem was able to be solved by spending a total of about $30 on the foot and connecting piece. Instead of spending so much money to buy the Rocket Launcher, which had way more features than I am inclined to use, I could have purchased a solid machine for significantly less than what I had spent, and then rigged the Janome foot to fit.

Taking the Anxiety Out of Sewing Tasks

It is eye-opening to realize that the smallest thing, that has nothing to do with the machine’s computer or the machine itself, can make things better and easier for the operator and the sewing machine. In order to discover these small solutions that make a big difference, I highly recommend asking those that specialize in sewing machine sales and repairs. They can be very helpful, especially if you are aware of what your needs truly are.

It does take extra time to replace the two parts each time I want to hem anything. It is worth it to me to take that extra time to do so. I love the consistent results I get with the Janome blind hem foot. Taking the anxiety out of that task allows me to now put my energy and focus on the fun projects on my work table, which is what I prefer to do.

Understanding what was important in my projects, and how I used my machine, was what helped me to gauge what it was that I needed. I was not going to trade in my Pfaff and go into debt again on a different machine because I did not like the results I was getting with one sewing operation. I just needed to be open to talking to someone who had the ability to help me solve the problem, and be willing to accept the wisdom that could be given.

As we move towards the purchase of your ideal sewing machine in the following posts, we will consider which details matter to you most. Do you already know what they are? Leave a comment and let us know what really matters most!

Continue on to the next in this series by clicking here, or choose from the options below.